'Grounded' Ravindra Gaikwad banks on Uddhav Thackeray to 'take care of it', AI staffer demands strict action

After national carrier Air India cancelled the Pune flight ticket of Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad for assaulting one of its staffers at Delhi airport, budget carrier IndiGo also refused to take him on board. The Sena MP had booked a ticket on IndiGo flight to Pune for this evening, which has been cancelled by the airline, sources said. "He had booked on IndiGo's fight today at 1750 hours from Delhi to Pune. But the airline has cancelled the booking and is refunding the entire amount," the source told PTI. 

In a related development, Tata-SIA joint venture carrier Vistara also joined the national carrier Air India and four private carriers' decision to ban Gaikwad from flying. Disruptive and abusive behaviour by passengers is a serious issue and cannot be tolerated, both for safety and security reasons in a critical and sensitive industry such as aviation, as well for the safety and well-being of our staff and all other passengers, a Vistara spokesperson said. "We support the statement made by Air India and the FIA, and are in full solidarity with them in support of the ban. The concerned individual will be barred from flying on any of our flights with immediate effect," the spokesperson said.

The 62-year-old Air India staffer, who was beaten up by a Shiv Sena MP "25 times" with his slippers, today said his attacker must be punished so that no one takes it as their "birthright" to assault a person. R Sukumar, who is with the state-owned airline's ground handling subsidiary, also said Ravindra Gaikwad's assault on him was akin to a violent road rage incident. When Gaikwad refused to disembark from Air India's Pune to Delhi AI 852 on landing at IGI airport here at 9.35am yesterday, Sukumar was the duty manager responsible for preparing the flight for its onward scheduled departure to Goa at 10.55am.

Gaikwad attacked Sukumar over being unable to travel business class despite having insisted on boarding the all- economy flight. Sukumar said the police must act so that there is a deterrence. "Police action should be taken to restrict these people from doing this kind of thing again. That is the most important thing. They should not keep on doing it. They should not take it as their birthright to assault a person," he told

An unrepentant Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad said that he would not apologise to the Air India staffer whom he assaulted, and instead blamed the airline employee for the incident. The MP drew more flak today, with four private Indian carriers banning him from flying, while Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathy Raju promised that action would be taken against him. Gaikwad told reporters at the Maharashtra Sadan here this morning that he has no regret over his actions, saying "kaahe ka pashchaataap (what is there to repent)?" "I will not apologise...he (AI Manager Sukumar) should come and apologise... then we will see. A 60-year-old man should also know how to behave," he said.

Asked what he did after the assault, he said he went to watch a Bollywood movie -- 'Badrinath ki Dulhaniya' -- last night to "relax" himself after journalists sought his reaction over the incident. "Tension-free hona chahiye na...you also watch the movie...it's very good," he said. The first-time lawmaker also said he had made the Parliament "proud", when asked if his act has brought shame to the temple of democracy.

Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she cannot take suo motu action and that she will take a call if it is brought to her notice in the House. "I always say every human being should behave in a nice manner with everyone...whosoever it is, your behaviour should be good with everyone. As a mother I would suggest that to everyone. I will understand everything and then I will comment," she told reporters before entering the house. 

Gaikwad also said that he has had no conversation with his party chief Uddhav Thackeray since the incident and added that he has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Civil Aviation Minister regarding the incident. Yesterday Gaikwad had repeatedly hit a 60-year-old Air India officer with sandal over being unable to travel business class despite having insisted on boarding an all-economy flight.

The national carrier has filed two FIRs against the MP, while the Shiv Sena has sought an explanation from him. "Police can arrest me...my party, Uddhav saheb will take care of it," he said.

Raju said the incident "should never have happened". "It was an unfortunate incident. It should never have happened. What has to happen (now), will happen. I am not saying no action has to be taken. Action has to be taken and we will do it. That is not the problem at all. "I am also an MP. We are not above the law and we have to follow the law of the land," he told reporters outside the House.

Politicians criticise Ravindra Gaikwad

 Sharp criticism of Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad for thrashing an Air India official continued to pour in today from leaders across the political spectrum who termed his behaviour as "condemnable" and demanded strict action against him. Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that the incident was in "bad taste" and it cannot be justified in any way. "This is in bad taste. If an elected representative behaves like this, it is a setback to the trust of people. 

Action is being taken as per law. This incident cannot be justified in any way," Naqvi said. State carrier Air India, along with private airlines Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir today banned the MP from Osmanabad (Maharashtra) from flying on their aircraft. The Air India even cancelled his return ticket to Pune from Delhi. 

NCP leader and former Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said the MP should be barred from flying in any airline and that the Ethics Committee of the Parliament should take action against him. "The question is first what happened, then he is not repenting. He does not want to accept that he has done something wrong. He should not be allowed to fly by any airline, why only Air India. Even the police action should be very strict as there is a lot of evidence. 

"He (the MP) should be censured... The Ethics Committee should take action. He should not be defended by colleagues in Parliament. People should realise that defending him will bring more bad name to the politicians and MPs. I agree with decision to put him in no flight list and they should not buckle under any pressure," he said.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge termed the incident as "condemnable"    and said MPs from any party, be it the Shiv Sena, BJP or the Congress should not behave in such a manner.

"He is stating that he himself has beaten (the staff). This type of behavior is condemnable. The civil aviation minister has condemned this act. "People should also not create a controversy to bring down the status and reputation of an institution. MPs should behave carefully and politely and the same time other staff should also behave courteously," he said.
Another Congress leader, Sanjay Nirupam, termed the incident as "objectionable and shameful" and demanded that the Shiv Sena should throw the MP out of the party.
"The way the Shiv Sena MP assaulted the Air India staff and the way he is repeatedly supporting and justifying his act, it is very objectionable and shameful. It is Shiv Sena's duty to throw out this goonda MP from the party at the earliest," he said.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Manish Tewari said the Sena MP should be expelled from the House for his "outrageous" and "brazen" act of "cowardice".

"He (Gaikwad) should be expelled from the House. It has the inherent power to do so. It doesn't require anyone to complain...it should take suo motu cognisance," he said.

Meanhwile, the Federation of Indian Airlines, which has Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir as members, has taken a "strong view of the incident and accordingly taken a decision to bar Gaikwad from flying", an FIA source said. The FIA will not allow the Sena MP to fly on its member carriers, the source said.